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I could see how it could be used to discourage kids wandering around the halls instead of being in class, but not if the teacher doesn't have enough common sense to know when to make exceptions.

Though, is "skipping class" common with 2nd graders? Not even people at my high school did that since they'd notice you being gone. I get it theoretically, but is this such a problem that they need a system to keep it in check? Because then it seems to be a problem with the teacher/school, rather than the system.

I'm pretty sure we've covered this topic before in another thread, but I'll answer again.
Bathroom breaks should never be a privilege. They're a natural body function that while we can control somewhat, we shouldn't be trying to "train" it down to some specific kind of schedule. It's not healthy to hold it in all the time. Not everyone has to go at the same time, either. Though adults usually have way better control, even we can't always stick to a strict schedule.

I'd be livid if I were this mother, embarrassed if I were the child and mortified if I were the principal overseeing this school.

If a kid is screwing off instead of going to the bathroom, and you know they are, you find some other way to rectify that behavior, AND prevent it. You don't charge them bucks they've earned for good behavior, just because you haven't yet trained or manipulated their body to work on your approved schedule. That just seems so wrong to me. Would this teacher do that at home with their own children? They have to spend their allowance to go potty outside of the time the parent decides is appropriate. I seriously doubt it. So why apply it here?

The school obviously realizes what a huge mistake it was on the teacher's part and how wrong it is. I don't think such things should go unnoticed, but I can't say what sort of disciplinary action should be applied to the teacher.

Maybe they should take some of her salary she rightfully earned for her bad behavior

The bathroom breaks thing in schools has been an issue for as long as I can remember, there seem to always be cases of teachers not letting kids go, and then accidents happening. I remember even myself in elementary school, my dad told me if ever I had to go to the bathroom and the teacher said no, to go anyway, or go to the principal and ask them.

I do get how distracting this might be to teachers and other students, but when you have to go you have to go, and it's just a dumb thing to have to "earn" points for.

As Frackel said, bathroom breaks should not be a privilege.

__________________

You think the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you, but if you walk the footsteps of stranger, you'll learn things you knew... you never knew.

Michelle, I do think we talked about a similar subject before but for a different age group and a rule was enacted due to too many kids asking to use the bathroom to get out of class.

For this age group, I would much rather see the teachers encouraging routine breaks(before and/or after lunch, before/after recess, etc...) but not to limit them if they need to go.

As to the question of what I would do if this was my child....I would be upset and definitely have a talk with the teacher and maybe the principal and expect a change in bathroom policy for the entire class. Not sure I think its suspension worthy though.

I think for certain kids it should be a privilege to go to the bathroom more than the three allotted times. My 4th grader is an example of one of the kids that should have had to use bucks to go in 2nd grade. In fact I had a talk with her teacher and we agreed that she needed to use her time wisely, and not waste everyone's time by going to the bathroom a million times a day. She never once peed her pants.
Now that is one out of my 5 school aged kids that acts this way, so in a class of 20 that's maybe 5 kids?

I don't necessarily think a suspension is in order for the teacher, UNLESS this isn't the first time the teacher has made up their own disciplinary rules that go against what the school would prefer. I think an area like this can be grey, at times, and there very well may be instances where a child can't get up and go to the bathroom every time they ask(or rather, shouldn't). I still don't see a need for an across the board policy, like this one, that can and WILL negatively affect more than just a handful of students.

My comment about making her pay for her misdeed was totally tic, but I do think some sort of reprimand is in order. I know teachers should be given at least some wiggle room for classroom discipline outside of the standard "rules" set forth by the schools. But on something like this? Nah, it should be brought before the school first not to mention discussed with the parents-or at least inform them so they can prepare their kiddos. Then if a policy needs to be put in place, at least everyone is aware.

Putting a kid on the spot to the point where they pee their pants is NOT effective discipline by any stretch of the imagination.

I think it's horrible a teacher would do such a thing for BATHROOMS. Have a reward system for other things... but not for a frickin bathroom break.

I let my kids go to the bathroom when they need it, and only once did a kid abuse that and he was dealt with in an appropriate manner. I dont refuse kids to go to the bathroom though, and ESPECIALLY wouldn't think of such a thing with little kiddos at that age!

That teacher made a completely foolish mistake, though mistakes are usually because the person really didnt know what to do. To do what she did.... wasnt a mistake, it was plain stupidity.

Wow. I charge 20$ for my kids to use the bathroom. However I've taught 5-8th grades so maybe it's different for this age range? The kids at these levels do use the restroom to screw around in and get out of class. I do however make exceptions if its a kid who rarely asks to go or if they are on meds or have some medical condition where I know they have to go frequently. Also if they are out of money and say they have to go they "go into debt" and I'll still let them. I'd always abide by parent request if they let me know they think their kid needs more frequent breaks. Other teachers will take a classroom ticket or something along those lines.

ETA: I've been upfront about this policy with parents and I haven't had a single one complain about it in 10 years. I've even had one parent who wanted me to charge more for their kid.

Wow. I charge 20$ for my kids to use the bathroom. However I've taught 5-8th grades so maybe it's different for this age range? The kids at these levels do use the restroom to screw around in and get out of class. I do however make exceptions if its a kid who rarely asks to go or if they are on meds or have some medical condition where I know they have to go frequently. Also if they are out of money and say they have to go they "go into debt" and I'll still let them. I'd always abide by parent request if they let me know they think their kid needs more frequent breaks. Other teachers will take a classroom ticket or something along those lines.

ETA: I've been upfront about this policy with parents and I haven't had a single one complain about it in 10 years. I've even had one parent who wanted me to charge more for their kid.

Well it's good you don't have my kiddo. Because I WOULD be complaining. Unless you can prove they're screwing around, charging them is wrong. In fact, charging them is wrong period. Just tell them no.

Well I'm not required to give them classroom money either. Nor am I required to buy them things to buy with their classroom money from my paycheck. If I didn't do that then they'd get no rewards.

I do agree that it isn't right to give a kid zero option for using the bathroom. I just think if the teacher has a system in place that they are usually paying for out of their own pocket anyways then I don't get what the problem is.

Well I'm not required to give them classroom money either. Nor am I required to buy them things to buy with their classroom money from my paycheck. If I didn't do that then they'd get no rewards.

I do agree that it isn't right to give a kid zero option for using the bathroom. I just think if the teacher has a system in place that they are usually paying for out of their own pocket anyways then I don't get what the problem is.

So this is money you give them for doing other things? I totally thought you just charged them $20 of their own money and that seemed way outrageous to me. $20 still seems like a lot unless they get over $100 a week.

Yeah they get money for volunteering answers, showing up to centers in a timely fashion, turning in homework, reading, participating in discussions, for tons of things really. They usually have a lot. Of course I have no idea how the guy in the article does it.

There was one teacher in my elementary school that had a sort of "bucks" system. Bathroom breaks were never included in it though, ever. We could earn for doing all kinds of things, and we could lose for doing all kinds of things. We could also spend them on different things. Just nothing like a bathroom break, or recess or anything like that. Things that we would have, and should be(imo) given anyway.
(and yes I do feel recess, of some sort, is necessary at that age, everyday)

None of the teachers around here, that I know of, use any kind of "bucks" system, but they don't treat bathroom breaks as some kind of treat to be earned, either. I know they deal with kids that goof off when they shouldn't. But they're handled on a kid by kid basis only. That's exactly how I think it should be done.

I still stand pretty firm that bathroom breaks shouldn't, at elementary level especially, be treated as if they're some magical privilege you need to earn. Whether they are extra breaks, or ones the entire class gets. I'm not comfortable with someone telling a child to control their body when in all likelihood they may not be able to. I don't honestly believe the ones who would make a teacher feel such a policy needs to be in place, will outnumber the ones who do not. In other words, you don't have an entire classroom full of goof-offs and shouldn't treat them as if they are.
But, just my personal opinion, of course, lol.

Well I'm not required to give them classroom money either. Nor am I required to buy them things to buy with their classroom money from my paycheck. If I didn't do that then they'd get no rewards.

I do agree that it isn't right to give a kid zero option for using the bathroom. I just think if the teacher has a system in place that they are usually paying for out of their own pocket anyways then I don't get what the problem is.

I understand where you're coming from on the "I pay for it out of my pocket" thing. As many teachers pay for all kinds of things out of pocket without ever being reimbursed for it. It's a very commendable act, one that I do think gets taken for granted way too often.

However that should have no bearing on whether or not a child should be able to use the bathroom when needed. What you do, or do not pay, has no relevance to how a child's body is going to function on any given day. So that is why I see a problem with it, personally. It's not the fact that the teacher has a system they are putting into and paying for, all on their own, and it's not necessarily the system itself either. I happen to like reward systems. It's because the system takes away something that many, including myself, believe shouldn't be an "earned privilege" to begin with. Now if a certain child needs correcting because they're goofing off, or needs special circumstances for any other reason, that's one thing. But making it part of the system for the entire classroom, I take issue with. Adults can't even always control their own bodies-including being able to hold it when we need to or go when we have a given moment, I have no clue why we expect children to be able to.

I am guessing this school sees it the same way, or they wouldn't be cross with the teacher who did it to begin with, lol. It's clearly not a policy they stand behind or promote. I put a lot of merit behind that, personally. I think, on this subject, the teacher went out of bounds. I'm not even taking into account the humiliation a kid who ends up having an accident can go through. That brings a whole separate ball to the playing field. Not having a complaint about a system doesn't necessarily mean people agree with it, or that it's the best policy. Not many will complain before an incident actually occurs. Except places where it's being discussed, like here.

First of all, she is a first year teacher and still learning. Second of all she gives the kids scheduled bathroom breaks. She is teaching them that there are times to go and times to wait. Yes, sometimes we need to go urgently and should get the chance, but these kids need to learn how to follow schedules. I think she should discontinue the using Boyd Bucks as a way of going to the bathroom for 2nd graders but still have a talk with children about taking breaks when they are scheduled so that they don't miss class time.

My sixth graders have to use a key to go to the bathroom. They start out the nine-weeks with 6 keys to be used to go to lockers for forgotten books or homework, to call home about forgotten things, or to go to the bathroom during one of our unscheduled times. It teaches them responsibility.

First of all, she is a first year teacher and still learning. Second of all she gives the kids scheduled bathroom breaks. She is teaching them that there are times to go and times to wait. Yes, sometimes we need to go urgently and should get the chance, but these kids need to learn how to follow schedules. I think she should discontinue the using Boyd Bucks as a way of going to the bathroom for 2nd graders but still have a talk with children about taking breaks when they are scheduled so that they don't miss class time.

My sixth graders have to use a key to go to the bathroom. They start out the nine-weeks with 6 keys to be used to go to lockers for forgotten books or homework, to call home about forgotten things, or to go to the bathroom during one of our unscheduled times. It teaches them responsibility.

I don't pee on a schedule. it's just insane to expect a small child to do so. I go when I have to, which is the healthy thing to do.

I don't pee on a schedule. it's just insane to expect a small child to do so. I go when I have to, which is the healthy thing to do.

This. Its unhealthy to wait.

When I was young I was deathly afraid of public bathrooms. My school called my Mom and pleaded with her to teach me that going to the bathroom was okay. My doctor had to tell me that it was bad to wait like that. Its not good for their little systems. Again, as long as they aren't abusing it without a medical reason, they should go when they need to go.